Bone legs of lamb the American style

Press, 7 May 1980, Page 12

Bone legs of lamb the American style

ALISON HOLST

KITCHEN DIARY

In February and March this year I cooked my way around North America, prompoting New Zealand spring lamb. When 1 decided what recipes to cook .on North American television programmes, J had to remember- several important facts. 1. A whole roast leg is too big a joint for many families. 2. Roasts, are regarded by many ' families as “special .occasion” meals; and we want to encourage people to eat lamb for family meal's— not just for special occasions. 3. Roasts often fill the house with cooking odours. New Zealanders are used to the smell of cooking

lamb; many North Americans are not. 4. Barbecues and broils (or grills) are more popular than roasts. So, although 1 talked briefly about roasting legs of lamb I suggested alternatives too, pointing out that many supermarket butchers would run a frozen > leg through - the band saw, cutting four to six meaty steaks from the butt end leaving the shank end of the leg (about 1 i- kg) too cook as a smaller roast; or to bone and cube for kebabs; or to - bone and open flat for grilling or for the barbecue. The idea of boning and opening flat (or butterflying) a leg .of lamb is new to many New Zealanders

too, but it is welT worth trying. The leg can be cooked o' ■ r a barbecue or under e grill in half an hour, and without the smell .often associated with roast .lamb. The first time you try. boning a leg, use the shank end only, because' this end doesn’t have any pelvic bones to remove. As you become more familiar with boning, you can move to a longer leg. When boning, always work from the body side of the leg, leaving the skin side unmarked.Work out where the bone is. You can see it at the cut end of the leg and you can feel the knee joint close to the skin. If you cut through the muscle between these . two .points, you will come to the bone. Using a sharp knife, and keeping as close to the bone as possible, cut the meat away from the bone. Once the bone is cut out between the muscles on the thickest muscle area, so the meat lies open and fairly flat. (If you have a vivid imagination, you may find that the-meat resembles a butterfly, at this stage!) Put the meat in a heavy, unpunctured plastic bag. Around it pour: | cup lemon juice or J cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tabiespons cooking oil 1-2 crushed garlic cloves | teaspoon salt i teaspoon basil | teaspoon rosemary J teaspoon marjoram You can leave .out, or reduce the quantities of any of the last five ingredients, but you shouldn’t alter the first three. Squeeze the air from the bag so the marinade surrounds all meat surfaces, then leave it in a cool place

for- a minimum? of ; eight hours — preferably 2<4 to' - 48 hours. Put the meat -and r its marinade in a roasting pan. Put meat under the-; griller in an electric oven, so the surface of the meat is 15cm to 20cm away from the heating elements. Cook the meaty side first y until well browned ■— this - will take about 15 minutes ■ — then turn . meat in. marinade and- cook the .fat' covered side for a similar * time.' In most gas stoves you cannot get the meat as far from the griller. Lower the heat so outer surface does

not buhij before centre is : cooked. ' ~ • • lyieati .pooked over a barbecue should not be too •close to the charcoal’. Cooking times should.be about the same. The-meat should be basted with, the- marinade as it cooks. ’ After cobkirig, pierce the /-thick muscle to make sure tneat is cooked to the stage that You like it. If not, cook a little longer. This lamb is most delicious when slightly'pink near the centre. 7 Leave meat to stand in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes then carve it into ■slices across the muscle.